One-piece dress



April l1, 1939. J BROWN 2,154,227y

ONE-PIEGE DRESS Filed Aug. l, 1938 lNyENTOR Jemzze Brown.

ATTO R N EY RESSUED AUG61940 Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 5 Claims.

AThis invention relates to new and useful improvements in a one piecedress.

More specifically, the invention proposes the construction of a onepiece dress characterized by a rectangular strip of cloth materialadapted to encircle the body, with the top edge thereof constructed soas to form the` neck opening of said dress.

Still further it is proposed to provide a cord mounted upon the toplongitudinal edge of the rectangular strip and which is adapted to beused for constructing the said edge to form the neck opening.

Still further it is proposed to provide cooperative fastening elementsupon the ends of the strip for joining these ends together to close theback of the dress.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a pair of crescentshaped openings with Io the ends thereof directed towards thelongitudinal top edge of said strip of cloth material to form openingsfor the arms with the material between the said ends forming shoulderportions for the dress.

Still further it is proposed to provide triangular shaped members whichare adapted to be secured between the adjacent end portions of thecrescent shaped openings for closing this area to such a degree thatonly the arms will be capable of projecting therethrough.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a lace between theopposite edges of the end portions -of the crescent shaped openingswhich are adapted to have their ends tied together for holding the sidesof the openings in position with relation to each other.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a, developed View of a one piece dress constructed accordingto this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of a dress showing the position itwould assume on the body.

Fig. 3 is a View looking in the direction of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line -fl of Fig. 2.

f Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 2 butillustrating a modification of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view looking in the direction of the line 8--8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating another portion of a one piece dressconstructed according to still another modification of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a rear perspective view of the gar ment, illustrating anotherform of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a sectional View on the line II--II of Fig. 10.

The one piece dress, according to this invention, includes a rectangularstrip of cloth material I0 which is adapted to encircle ones body andhas a longitudinal top edge IIla adapted to form the neck opening of thedress. The rectangular strip of cloth material is provided with abinding strip II securely attached to the bottom edge thereof by meansof Stitches passing therethrough. The front of the rectangular strip ofcloth material I0 may be decorated in any desired manner for adding tothe appearance of the garment, which may be constructed from any desiredmaterial.

A cord I2 is mounted on the top longitudinal edge for contracting thesaid edge to form the neck opening. A portion of the longitudinal topedge is doubled upon itself and held in position by means of stitches I3for forming a passageway I4 through which the cord I2 is passed. Theends of the strip of cloth material I0 are adapted to be pushed togethertowards the center of the cord I2 to a desired position which willpermit the edge to freely pass around ones neck to permit the ends ofthe cord I2a to be tied together as shown in Fig. 3 for holding the topedge in its contracted position.

Fastening elements I5 are mounted on the ends of the strip of materialI0 for joining the ends together to close the dress at the back. Asshown in Fig. 4, the ends of the strip of cloth material I6 are adaptedto be overlapped for permitting the fastening elements I5 to be joinedtogether for closing the dressing at the back. The fastening elementsare in the form of snap fasteners.

The strip of cloth material IIJ is formed with a pair of crescent shapedopenings I6 with the ends |82t thereof directed towards the longitudinaltop edge I0a to form openings for Ones arms with the material I0bbetween the ends |68 forming shoulder portions for the dress. A bindingstrip I'I is secured to the edges of the openings I6 for preventing thesame from unravelling. As shown in Fig. 2, when the dress is positionedupon the body the arms are adapted to project through the openings I6with the material I 0b between the ends IIia resting directly upon theshoulders to form the shoulder portions of the dress.

For positioning the one piece dress upon ones body the top longitudinaledge IIJa is brought into a position with relation to the neck and onesarms are passed through the openings I6 and the ends of the strip I arepassed to the rear of the body. The ends of the longitudinal top edgeIlla are urged towards the center of the cord I2 to contract this edgeto form the neck openings, and' the ends I2EL of the cord are tiedtogether for holding the top edge Illa in its contracted condition. Forclosing the adjacent ends of the strip of material I0 the snap fastenersI5 are interengaged with relation to each other for closing the body ofthe dress. v

According to the modiiicatio-n of the invention shown in Fgs. 6 8inclusive, a means is provided for extending across the end portions ofthe openings I6 to decrease the size of these openings to a degree whereonly the arms will extend therethrough. This means comprisestriangularly shaped members I8 extending between the adjacent edges ofthe end portions of the openings I6 at the center and rear of the dressas shown in Fig. 7. Snap fastener elements I9 are mounted on theedges ofthe members I8 and are adapted to be engaged with complementary snapfastener elements 20 mounted upon the edges of the end portions of theopenings I6 for holding the members I8 in position upon the garment in amanner so as to extend across the end portions of the openings. In otherrespects this form of the invention is similar to the previous form.

According to the modification shown in Fig. 9 a means is provided whichextends between the opposite edges of the end portions of the openingsfor holding these end portions in xed positions with relationV to eachother. This means comprises a lace 2| which passes through apertures 22formed in the edge portions of the end portions of the openings I6. Theends ZIa of the laces 2l are adapted to be tied together for holding thelace in its adjusted positions to hold the end portions of the openingsin xed position with relation to each other. These laces are also formedon the front and rear of the garment. In other respects this form of theinvention is similar to the previous forms.

In Figs. l0 and 11, the rear vertical edges IIIc of the cloth material ID are shown to be adjacent to one another, without any snap-fasteners orany other joining means, except the cork I2 which is adapted to contractthe upper edge of the neck opening.

It is to be understood that this garment may be used with or Without therear joining fasteners of edges II)c and the garment may be readily usedas an infant feeding wrap-around apron.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modiiications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A one piece dress, comprising a strip of cloth material havingparallel top and bottom horizontal edge portions and vertical end edgeportions, a cord mounted on said top edge portion for contracting thesame to form a neck opening for said dress, means for releasablyattaching together said end edge portions, and said strip of clothmaterial being formed with a pair of crescent shaped slots with the endsthereof extended towards said top edge, the portions of material to thetop and within the crescent shaped slots being adapted to extend overones shoulder forming shoulder covering portions, the portions ofmaterial below the crescent shaped slots being adapted to extend alongthe sides of a wearer of the dress, and the openings formed by liftingthe shoulder covering portions producing arm openings for the dress andextend beneath the wearers arm pits for forming large side ventilationopenings.

2. A one piece dress, comprising a rectangular strip of cloth materialadapted to encircle ones body and having a longitudinal top edge adaptedto form the neck opening of said dress, a cord mounted on said toplongitudinal edge and contracting said edge to form said neck opening,fastening elements upon the ends of said strip for joining the ends toclose said dress, and said strip of clothmaterial being formed with apair of crescent shaped openings with the ends thereof extended towardssaid longitudinal top edge to form openings for ones arms and with thematerial between the said ends forming shoulder portions for said dress,and triangular shaped members secured across the end portions of saidopenings.

3. A one piece dress, comprising a rectangular strip of cloth materialadapted -to encircle ones body and having a longitudinal top edgeadapted to form the neck opening of said dress, a cord mounted on saidtop longitudinal edge and contracting said edge'to form said neckopening, fastening elements upon the ends of said strip for joining theends to close said dress, and said strip of cloth material being formedwith a pair of crescent shaped openings with the ends thereof extendedtowards said longitudinal top edge to form openings for ones arms andwith the ma terial between the said ends forming shoulder portions forsaid dress, and triangular shaped members secured across the endportions of said openings, cooperative snap fasteners mounted upon theadjacent edges of said triangular shaped members and the end portions ofsaid openings for securing said members to said dress,

4. A one piece dress, comprising a rectangular strip of cloth materialadapted to encircle ones body and having a longitudinal top edge adaptedto form the neck opening of said dress, a cord mounted on said toplongitudinal edge and contracting said edge to form said neck opening,fastening elements upon the ends of said strip for joining the ends toclose said dress, and said strip of cloth material being formed with apair of crescent shaped openings with the ends thereof extended towardssaid longitudinal top edge to form openings for ones arms and with thematerial between the said ends forming shoulder portions for said dress,and a lace between the opposite edges of the end portions of saidopenings.

5. A one piece dress, comprising a rectangular strip of cloth materialadapted to encircle ones body and having a longitudinal top edge adaptedtening elements upon the ends of said strip for joining the ends toclose said dress, and said strip of cloth material being formed with apair of crescent shaped openings with the ends thereof extended towardssaid longitudinal top edge to form openings for ones arms and with thematerial between the said ends forming shoulder portions for said dress,and a lace between the opposite edges of the end portions of saidopenings, the material forming the end portions of said openings havingapertures through which said lace is passed.

JENNIE BROWN.

